Barcelona is one of the cities that you can not miss if you are going to visit Spain. In this post we leave you a Barcelona travel guide: what you need to know to have a great trip and know what to see in Barcelona.
Barcelona, a city with its own identity
Barcelona is an eclectic city, where on every visit you can find something new. From the beaches to the Mediterranean Sea, to the modernist architecture, passing through the Gothic Quarter and its streets, medieval style, it will not cease to amaze you.
When traveling to this city it is important that you know some points to keep in mind:
- There are 2 languages, the most spoken is Catalan and then Castilian you will not only hear the Catalan spoken among the locals, but you will know that all the signage is in this language.
- The official currency is the euro and all EU entry regulations apply
- Keep in mind that if you travel during the summer months, Barcelona is one of the cities most chosen by young tourists to visit and enjoy the beach. Not only does this make accommodation more expensive, but there are a lot of people everywhere.
- We recommend you book your place in the free tours offered because it is a city with a lot of history and identity, which helps a lot to know in order to get the most out of it.
😉👉 Book your FREE TOUR to get to know BARCELONA! Click here and save your place
How to get to Barcelona?
If you travel from America, the most common options to arrive on a direct flight to Barcelona, or with a stopover in Madrid. If you are coming from an internal flight from Europe you will arrive directly at Barcelona El Prat airport. To reach the city center you can use the A2 bus, the urban bus line 46 or the R2 train line. There are night services on lines N16, N17 and N18.
The trip to the city center is approximately 35 minutes, it can be done by car taxi or transfer.
It can also be reached by train, currently there are several companies that make this journey such as the RENFE and the AVE, which is the fast and low cost train service.
How to get around within the city of Barcelona?
The best way, as always, is to use public transport because there are buses, trains and subways that leave you anywhere.
If your intention is to go with a car you should know that this zone is low emissions, so there are restrictions by license plate number to travel and it is necessary to request an authorization to enter.
A single public transport ticket is only valid for one means of transport. The services are divided by zones from 1 to 6, being number 1 the one that most tourist attractions are located. Some of the passes to move by public transport are:
- T-day Card: is a card with duration of 24 hours of unlimited use. It is valid from its activation and it is possible to use it to or from the airport.
- T-Casual card: this type of ticket allows you to make up to 10 trips of up to 75 minutes from validation. It is for personal use and is not valid to go to the airport, the price varies according to the areas where one moves.
- Hello Barcelona: it is a card with duration of 2 to 5 days with unlimited trips in all transports.
- Barcelona Card: it is a tourist card that in addition to having included access to attractions, has the unlimited transport pass between 3 and 5 days.
Enjoy the gastronomy
At lunchtime in restaurants you can get menus for less than 15 euros. But if you are looking to save a good option is to buy in the supermarket, where you will find ready-made dishes that you only need to heat or can be eaten directly. You will find a variety between 5 and 10 EUR.
Another interesting alternative is to take advantage of the food and food markets, where you can find a lot of variety to find typical dishes of the area. If you go late in the afternoon you get discounts, because they have to liquidate the food left of that day yes or yes. We recommend that you try the olives, the fish and why not enjoy any dessert.
💡 Do you need more information about Spain? Read all our articles about Spain
Where to stay in Barcelona?
If we are going to tour the city in search of tourist attractions, the best areas to stay are Plaça de Catalunya, Ciutat Vella, the Gothic Quarter and the Eixample. These areas are usually the most expensive, so we recommend that you look for prices in advance to get the best rates.
In case we are looking to visit the beach, the best alternative is to look for accommodation near Barceloneta, as it is close to tourist spots and also near the water.
The areas that we recommend you evaluate more carefully are the Rabal and the Ramblas, at night the atmosphere becomes a bit unsafe, although during the day there is a lot of tourist movement. In spite of everything, it has good prices and a lot of nightlife, so with precautions it is a great option.
👉 Find the best Booking BARCELONA rates by clicking here and secure your stay!
What to see in Barcelona?
Barcelona has a wide variety of tourist attractions to enjoy, in this Barcelona travel guide we tell you some of the most important points:
Gothic Quarter of Barcelona
It is the oldest area of the city, it was built on the remains of medieval Barcelona that inspired the great churches and palaces. This part of the city seems suspended in time thanks to its narrow medieval streets that can be turned into real labyrinths for tourists.
We recommend you in this area to take a free tour to learn more about its corners and secrets.
😉👉 Book your FREE TOUR to get to know the neighborhood! Click here and save your place
Olympic Port
This part of Barcelona was built in 1992 as part of renovations that were made for the Olympics of that year. It is an ideal area to visit restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, as well as the beach.
You can visit the Marina Village shopping area where you can find the premises of leading brands of clothing and footwear, among others.
The Holy Family – La Sagrada Familia
This is a Catholic church that was designed by Antoni Gaudí and began its construction in 1882. Still under construction since then, it can be visited with the purchase of a ticket. Gaudí
proposed this church with an innovative design of neo-Gothic style, composed of 18 towers. He only had time to see one of them, completed before he died in 1926. This church is full of religious symbolism and can not miss in your list of places to see in Barcelona.
🏰 Book your tour with ticket to the Sagrada Familia! Click here and reserve your place
Montjuic Castle
This fortress located on the mountain of Montjuic is also a 360° viewpoint of Barcelona. This castle today belongs to the Spanish army, and is managed by the city council.
It began its history in 1640 as a fort of stone and mud to become a castle in 1694. Throughout his life he has been a protagonist of the history of Barcelona and particularly witnessed very gruesome periods involving prisoners and torture. If you like history, this place is ideal to know particularly the history of the twentieth century.Currently you can visit: The access bridge and façade, the bastions the terrace and watchtower, the moat and the parade ground
We particularly recommend you go up to the terrace to enjoy stunning views of the city and the Mediterranean.
🏰 Book your entrance to the Montjuic Castle with a guided tour! Click here and reserve your place
Park Güell
This garden was also designed by Antonio Gaudí. Throughout the park you can find columns that look like trees, animal figures and geometric shapes decorated with mosaic and walls in undulating shapes. Inspired by nature, Gaudí built this park in Barcelona thinking about movement, that’s why you can see so many variations in architecture.
But this park also has a religious sense, since the architect took advantage of the unevenness of the mountain to create a path of spiritual elevation that ends at the Monument to Calvary. At this point you can see a panoramic view of the city.
Thanks to Eusebio Güell, a businessman who supported the artist, this park of more than 17 hectares was built that was originally going to be a housing neighborhood. Currently a UNESCO heritage site.
This is one of the most visited attractions in Barcelona and tickets sell out very quickly. You can enter the monumental area every half hour in blocks of 400 people.
😉👉 Book your Park Güell Guided Walking Tour! Click here and save your place
Picasso Museum of Barcelona
This museum has the largest collection of Picasso’s works in the world of his youth, with more than 3500 works. The collection was donated by the artist himself and his friend Jaume Sabartes, as Piccaso felt a very strong connection with Barcelona. The building is composed of 5 palaces of Catalan Gothic style, the works can be seen in chronological order and focus on the artist’s youth.
🎫 👉 Book now your Picasso Museum Barcelona Guided Tour
Casa Batlo and La Pedrera-Casa Mila
No doubt modernism runs through all of Barcelona and can also be seen in these buildings along Pasaje de Gracia.
Casa Batlo was built by Gaudí and commissioned by Batlo in 1904, it is considered a masterpiece, not only for its façade that is impressive, but for its interior. There you can see an amazing patio of lights and a terrace with fireplaces that are just some of the most important parts of the house.
La Pedrera was built in 1906 and houses several exhibitions where you can, among other things, find a flat with a recreation of how a high society family lived in the early twentieth century. As in Casa Batlo the chimneys and ventilation towers have curious designs, here they become sculptures of warriors.
🎫 👉 Buy your ticket in advanced for Gaudí’s Casa Batlló Skip the Line Ticket or your Casa Milà Skip the Line Tickets
San Jose Boqueria Market
The market has been operating since 1586, although this is not its original space, since here was the convent of San José. This building suffered a fire and, as this part of the city became more popular and crowded, they decided to move it into this space.
In this market you can get fresh products and freshly made meals. With more than 300 gastronomic stalls, the variety of cold cuts, sweets, meats, fruits, vegetables and fish whet your appetite.
👉 Enjoy the best Tapas Tour in Barcelona . Try great food and make new friends!
La Barceloneta
This is one of the busiest areas of Barcelona, since 1754 fishermen began to settle in this part and even today you can find dark facades thanks to the salt of the sea. In addition to having narrow alleys and old buildings, you can enjoy the beaches.
On Barceloneta beach you can take the cable car and go up to the Miramar viewpoint to see a panoramic view of the port.
